Nursing home residents are often reluctant to voice concerns about their care or report abuse or neglect for fear of retaliation by staff, according to a new survey.
The survey from the Long Term Care Community Coalition, which was released for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, highlights residents’ experiences with fear of retaliation “in their own words.”
In one case, a staff member at a nursing home reportedly told a resident that if she didn’t go to bed against her wishes, “I won’t help you during the night shift.” A separate resident’s family was told, “You better not call state (regulatory services), or it will be worse for the residents.”
It is legal here. The only stipulation is that the camera can’t be pointed on the roommate’s side of the room.
I've personally witnessed this retaliatory behavior - I've even been on the receiving end of it. I have had to remain silent on so many occasions. I won't report anything, unless it is verbal or physical. I've learned to let things slide. Sort of. Lately it has really been wearing on me. The theft is rampant. So much money lost on clothes and supplies. Staff will damage things that are never replaced. Personal items, medical devices. Residents are so vulnerable.
Staffing is and will always be a problem in a job that pays little, offers no benefits, and can be physically and mentally draining. There have been many workers who I will love and appreciate until my dying day. And there have been some major loons. I have stories. Many, many stories.
The fault lies with ownership and the administrators they hire (again, I've got stories). I like the saying "fish rots from the head." Change won't happen until they are held to a higher level of accountability.
Thank you for posting this article. I don't have time or energy to keep up with the latest nursing home info. It's good to see these problems getting media coverage.
The care wasn’t good. Staff members did weird stuff too. One aide followed my mom to the restroom and asked her for money.
My godmother was in one of the lowest rated places also. It wouldn’t have been my choice to place her there.
“Staff acted like we were non-people,” a resident in the survey said. “They don’t even acknowledge that we are human.”
A report released by the Senate Special Committee on Aging last month found that staffing shortages at state survey agencies have led to a lack of proper oversight of nursing homes.
“The system responsible for ensuring that nursing homes meet health and safety standards is in crisis,” Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), the committee’s chair, said in a statement at the time.
The Long Term Care Community Coalition survey featured complaint investigation reports from 100 nursing homes in 30 states between 2017 and 2022. However, the survey noted that its “sample is small and not intended to be representative of nationwide trends.”